THE WESTIN LAKE LAS VEGAS RESORT & SPA –17,500 POINTS AFTER 08/01
PART 1: Marriott Category 1 and 2 Hotels in the U.S. Book Now or After August 1?
Marriott Category 3 hotels in the U.S. are a mixed bag. In some cases, you will find improvements after August 1, in others, well – act fast.
Marriott Category 3 hotels: 17,500/70,000 per 5 nights
Case in point: Four Points by Sheraton San Diego Downtown.
FOUR POINTS SAN DIEGO DOWNTOWN — 17,500 POINTS AFTER 08.01
This is a solid SPG Category 3 property in a city where the words “cheap” and “downtown” don’t normally mingle. As a Category 3 hotel in a very good (although not great) location, it’s more often than not worth the 7,000 Starwood points per night price tag. After August 1, it’s going down from 21,000 to 17,500 points, or, divided by 3, ~5,830 SPG points. That’s a great improvement, actually.
Speaking of San Diego, if your kids are Legoland fans, you might enjoy TownePlace Suites San Diego Carlsbad/Vista north of San Diego. After August 1, it’s also going down from 21,000 to 17,500 points.
On the other hand, 2 cheap Santa Fe, NM hotels are going up from 15,000 to 25,000 points. While I’ve never visited Santa Fe, I’ve only heard good things about this fascinating city. Sure, these hotels aren’t JW Marriotts, but each is about a 15-minute drive to the historic center, so if you’re planning on visiting, book now. The sooner the better, so that you’ll have a lot of time to cancel your reservation without a penalty if your plans change between now and then.
BOOK NOW before the price goes up on August 1, 2018
|
Courtyard Santa Fe |
15,000 |
25,000 |
10,000 |
|
Fairfield Inn & Suites Santa Fe |
15,000 |
25,000 |
10,000 |
Speaking of cities I’ve never visited…
I’ve never been to Boise, but, according to this cheeky article, “Boise is #2 on Lonely Planet ‘Best in U.S.’ list.” So you’ll be glad to know that all Boise properties, including downtown hotels will be in Marriott Category 3 list after August 1. Yay!
As you can see, 2 of them are going up, and 2 are going down, so act accordingly.
- RED: WAIT! Book AFTER August 1, 2018
- GREEN: Book NOW before the price goes up on August 1, 2018
|
Courtyard Boise Downtown |
15,000 |
17,500 |
2,500 |
|
Residence Inn Boise Downtown/City Center |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Residence Inn Boise Downtown/University |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
TownePlace Suites Boise Downtown |
15,000 |
17,500 |
2,500 |
What else? If you find yourself in dire need of a change of scenery after losing a few hands in Las Vegas, retreat to another Marriott Category 3 hotel — The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa “where the only item on your itinerary is relaxation” (moving down from 21,000 to 17,500 points after August 1).
By the way, speaking of gambling…
Those of you who (unlike me) don’t belong to the “northeastern elite” may not care about the fact that Atlantic City has a Jekyll & Hyde personality. It can be astonishingly cheap on the weekdays, but weekend hotel rates in AC are nothing short of extortionate. As an SPG Category 3 property, Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel can mitigate that injustice. It’s a reasonably classy hotel just a stone’s throw away from the boardwalk, and it’s always been available to me for 7,000 SPG points, even when its cash rates soared into the high $300s. Unfortunately, on August 1, it’s moving up a category, from 21,000 points to 25,000 points. Can still be a decent deal, considering the alternatives, but if you’re planning to visit this summer, consider booking now.
Speaking of the East Coast: if you promised your kids some fun at Six Flags Over Georgia, SpringHill Suites Atlanta Six Flags is moving down from 20,000 to 17,500 points. Just come over the day before and be the first in line at the opening.
And speaking of kids…
I put 19 cheap Orlando area Marriott Category 3 hotels you can choose from into this neat little table. You’re welcome!
- RED: WAIT! Book AFTER August 1, 2018
- GREEN: Book NOW before the price goes up on August 1, 2018
|
Courtyard Orlando Altamonte Springs/Maitland |
15,000 |
17,500 |
2,500 |
|
Courtyard Orlando Downtown |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Courtyard Orlando East/UCF Area |
15,000 |
17,500 |
2,500 |
|
Courtyard Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Vista Centre |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Courtyard Orlando Lake Mary/North |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Courtyard Orlando South/John Young Parkway |
25,000 |
17,500 |
-7,500 |
|
Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando East/UCF Area |
15,000 |
17,500 |
2,500 |
|
Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando Kissimmee/Celebration |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando Ocoee |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Convention Center |
12,000 |
17,500 |
5,500 |
|
Residence Inn Orlando Altamonte Springs/Maitland |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Residence Inn Orlando East/UCF Area |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Residence Inn Orlando Lake Mary |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
Sheraton Orlando North Hotel |
21,000 |
17,500 |
-3,500 |
|
SpringHill Suites Orlando Altamonte Springs/Maitland |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
SpringHill Suites Orlando Kissimmee |
25,000 |
17,500 |
-7,500 |
|
SpringHill Suites Orlando North/Sanford |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
TownePlace Suites Orlando Altamonte Springs/Maitland |
20,000 |
17,500 |
-2,500 |
|
TownePlace Suites Orlando East/UCF Area |
15,000 |
17,500 |
2,500 |
The SpringHill Suites Orlando Kissimmee (currently a Category 5 hotel) will drop 7,500 points after August 1. It’s “located 4 miles from Walt Disney World theme parks, 8 miles from Universal Orlando and SeaWorld,” and its pool area looks like fun, too.
The SpringHill Suites Orlando Kissimmee “Zero Entry” Pool
And, of course, speaking of Florida…
Great news! 3 Downtown hotels in Tampa and St. Petersburg are going down in category, from 25,000 to 17,500 points. That’s really great news, because these cities offer tons of things to do.
WAIT! Book AFTER August 1, 2018
|
Residence Inn Tampa Downtown |
Residence Inn |
USA |
25,000 |
17,500 |
-7,500 |
|
Courtyard Tampa Downtown |
Courtyard |
USA |
25,000 |
17,500 |
-7,500 |
|
Courtyard St. Petersburg Downtown |
Courtyard |
USA |
25,000 |
17,500 |
-7,500 |
And finally, I listed a bunch of Jacksonville hotels in my previous installment, but, for what it’s worth, Fairfield Inn & Suites Jacksonville Beach is 1 block away from, well, the beach. And it’s going down from 25,000 to 17,500 points.
Just to reiterate once again – always check the cash rates (plus tax) of a hotel room before booking a rewards stay. They fluctuate widely during the year, so please don’t presume that redeeming a low-cost reward is always a great deal. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Next: Best Marriott Canada Cat. 1-3 Hotels
So, have I missed anything worthwhile? I might have, but we’ll never know for sure unless you tell me. What other new Category 3 Marriott hotels are worth our attention?
Boise Photo Credit: by Alden Skeie on Unsplash
I am so glad to find your blog and the Marriott Post. I’m a fairly newbiue, and have a Marriott Travel Certificate (Now a C4) expiring in March. Do you have an opinion of the best redemption for this certificate. I know some folks have had luck getting them to upgrade it when they call to convert the old certificate to the new one. Thanks for your input!!!